Unemployment down 35,000 to 1.83m

Unemployment decreased by 35,000 in the three months to March 2015 to 1.83 million, with the unemployment rate now at 5.5 per cent, today’s labour market statistics reveal.

Comparing the estimates for January to March 2015 with those for October to December 2014, employment continued to rise and unemployment continued to fall. These changes maintain the general direction of movement since late 2011 to early 2012.

There were 31.10 million people in work, 202,000 more than for October to December 2014 and 564,000 more than for a year earlier.

The proportion of people aged from 16 to 64 in work (the employment rate) was 73.5%, the highest since comparable records began in 1971.

There were 1.83 million unemployed people. This was 35,000 fewer than for October to December 2014, the smallest quarterly fall since June to August 2013. Comparing January to March 2015 with a year earlier, there were 386,000 fewer unemployed people.

The proportion of the economically active population who were unemployed (the unemployment rate) was 5.5%, lower than for October to December 2014 (5.7%) and for a year earlier (6.8%). The economically active population is those in work plus those seeking and available to work.

There were 8.98 million people aged from 16 to 64 who were out of work and not seeking or available to work (known as economically inactive), 69,000 fewer than for October to December 2014 but little changed compared with a year earlier.

The proportion of people aged from 16 to 64 who were economically inactive (the inactivity rate) was 22.1%, lower than for October to December 2014 (22.3%) but unchanged compared with a year earlier.

Comparing January to March 2015 with a year earlier, pay for employees in Great Britain increased by 1.9% including bonuses and by 2.2% excluding bonuses.

Like this article? Sign up to Left Foot Forward's weekday email for the latest progressive news and comment - and support campaigning journalism by making a donation today.